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Types of Divination

The word ‘divination’ comes from the Latin word divinare (meaning to foresee by inspiration by a god) and divinus (meaning divine).

Divination is a method of gaining insight into a question or situation by the use of a process. Diviners have been reading for many hundreds of years and as you will see, there are some pretty whacky ways of answering questions.

Divination is often mistaken for simply fortune telling but it goes much deeper than that. It uses quite formal and often ritualised ways of gaining insight.

Here’s a list of methods of divination. Some appear in more than one category. You’ll be surprised by how many forms of divination there are and also how bizarre a few seem to us now.

ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR

Divination by the study of animal behaviour is called theriomancy / zoomancy

Divination by the study of chance encounters with animals is called apantomancy

Divination by the study of cracks on the underside of a turtle’s shell (the plastron) is called plastromancy

Divination by the study of dogs is called canomancy

Divination by the study of eggs is called oomancy / ooscopy

Divination by the study of excrement is called scatomancy

Divination by the study of frogs is called batraquomancy / batrachomancy

Divination by the study of seeds in bird excrement is called stercomancy

Divination by the study of spiders is called arachnomancy

Divination by the study of the howling of dogs is called ololygmancy

Divination by the study of the shoulder blades of cows, sheep and goats is called scapulimancy / scapulomancy / spatulamancy, omoplatoscopy

Divination by the study of wild hogs is called hyomancy

Divination by the study of auras is called auramancy

Divination by the study of dragons is called dracomancy

Divination by the study of insects is called entomomancy / entomancy

Divination by the study of pig bladders is called choriomancy

BURNING / FIRE / SMOKE / MELTING

Divination by the study of burning is called causimancy / causimomancy / empyromancy

Divination by the study of burning coals is called anthracomancy

Divination by the study of burning laurel wreaths is called daphnomancy

Divination by the study of burning sage or figs is called botanomancy

Divination by the study of burning straw with an iron is called sideromancy

Divination by the study of burning writing onto bark is called stigonomancy

Divination by the study of fire is called pyromancy / pyroscopy:

Divination by the study of flame is called lampadomancy

Divination by the study of melting wax is called carromancy

Divination by the study of shapes in smoke is called turifumy

Divination by the study of smoke is called capnomancy

Divination by the study of smoke or ash from incense is called libanomancy

Divination by the study of soot is called spodomancy

Divination by the study of the appearance of burning wood is called xylomancy

Divination by the study of the ashes of a specifically sacrificial or ritual fire is called cineromancy / ceneromancy

Divination by the study of tree bark ashes, by the study of sacrificial or ritual fire ashes, or human sacrificial victim ashes is called tephramancy / tephromancy

CARDS

Divination by the study of cards is called cartomancy

Divination by the study of tarot is called taromancy / tarotmancy

CASTING

Divination by the study of beans is called favomancy

Divination by the study of casting is called cleromancy

Divination by the study of dominoes is called dominodivination

Divination by the study of Ogham letters* is called Oghamcasting

*an Early Medieval alphabet used to write the early Irish language

Divination by the study of throwing stones on the floor, practised at Taoist temples is called poe divination

Divination by the study of dice is called astragalomancy / astragalamancy / cubomancy

Divination by the study of runes is called runecasting /Runic divination

DOWSING

Divination by the study of dowsing for water is called water witching

Divination by the study of dowsing with rods, pendulums or other cylindrical tools is called radiesthesia

Divination by the study of pendulums is called pallomancy

Divination by the use of a divining rod is called dowsing

EVENTS

Divination by the study of apt occasion is called chronomancy

Divination by the study of chance events is called cledonism / cledonomancy

Divination by the study of experiment / experience is called empirimancy

Divination by the study of things accidentally seen or heard is called transataumancy

Divination by the study of omens is called cryptomancy

FLOWERS / PLANTS / TREES

Divination by the study of auras is called auramancy

Divination by the study of bamboo is called kau cim

Divination by the study of beans is called favomancy

Divination by the study of burning writing onto bark is called stigonomancy

Divination by the study of fig leaves is called sycomancy

Divination by the study of flowers is called anthomancy

Divination by the study of flowers’ feelings is called floriography / floromancy

Divination by the study of fractals is called fractomancy

Divination by the study of fruit is called fructomancy / fructimancy

Divination by the study of leaves is called phyllomancy

Divination by the study of observing patterns produced by the chewing of gum, gum wax, or products produced by the L. styraciflua tree is called styramancy

Divination by the study of rose petals is called phyllorhodomancy

Divination by the study of tea leaves or coffee grounds is called tasseography / tasseomancy

Divination by the study of the appearance of plants is called phytognomy

Divination by the study of the shape or texture of wood is called xylomancy

Divination by the study of trees, especially oaks, yews, or mistletoe is called dendromancy

FOOD AND DRINK

Divination by the study of barley is called alphitomancy

Divination by the study of barley cakes is called crithomancy / critomancy

Divination by the study of beans is called favomancy

Divination by the study of cheese is called tyromancy / tiromancy

Divination by the study of flour is called aleuromancy

Divination by the study of fruit is called fructomancy / fructimancy

Divination by the study of onion sprouts is called cromnyomancy / cromniomancy

Divination by the study of salt is called alomancy /Halomancy / adromancy)

Divination by the study of tea leaves or coffee grounds is called tasseography / tasseomancy

Divination by the study of wine in a brass bowl is called cottabomancy / cottobomancy

Divination by the study of wine is called oenomancy / oinomancy

Divination by the study of fortune cookies is called aleuromancy

HUMAN BEHAVIOUR

Divination by the study of breast feeding a baby is called mazomancy

Divination by the study of experiment / experience is called empirimancy

Divination by the study of feelings of fear is called phobomancy

Divination by the study of foolishness is called moromancy

Divination by the study of laughter is called geloscopy

Divination by the study of looking over one’s shoulder is called retromancy

Divination by the study of overheard words is called cledonism / cledonomancy

Divination by the study of random shouts and cries heard in crowds is called clamancy

Divination by the study of second glance or double take is called deuteroscopy

Divination by the study of sitting in a drawn circle is called aspidomancy

Divination by the study of things accidentally seen or heard is called transataumancy

Divination by the study of walking is called ambulomancy

HUMAN BODY

Divination by the study of blemishes is called moleosophy

Divination by the study of blood is called hematomancy / haematomancy

Divination by the study of blowing is called pneumancy

Divination by the study of bones is called osteomancy

Divination by the study of breast feeding a baby is called mazomancy

Divination by the study of bumps on the skin is called bumpology

Divination by the study of buttocks is called rumpology / natimancy

Divination by the study of convulsions is called spasmatomancy

Divination by the study of dizziness is called gyromancy

Divination by the study of dripping blood is called dririmancy / driromancy

Divination by the study of eggs is called oomancy / ooscopy

Divination by the study of excrement is called scatomancy

Divination by the study of eye color is called iridology

Divination by the study of eyes is called oculomancy

Divination by the study of faces is called physiognomy / physiognomancy

Divination by the study of finger movements is called dactylomancy

Divination by the study of fingernails and toenails is called onychomancy / onymancy / onimancy

Divination by the study of hands is called cheirognomy / chirognomy

Divination by the study of itches is called urticariaomancy

Divination by the study of lips is called labiomancy

Divination by the study of liver is called hepatoscopy / hepatomancy

Divination by the study of navels is called omphalomancy

Divination by the study of one’s own shoulders is called armomancy

Divination by the study of palms is called cheiromancy / chiromancy / palmistry / palm reading

Divination by the study of physical appearance is called anthroposcopy

Divination by the study of ridges on the breastbone is called sternomancy

Divination by the study of skulls is called cephalomancy / craniognomy

Divination by the study of spots on the skin is called maculomancy

Divination by the study of teeth is called odontomancy

Divination by the study of the configuration of one’s brain is called phrenology / organoscopy

Divination by the study of the face is called schematomancy

Divination by the study of the human form is called somatomancy

Divination by the study of the interpretation of sneezes is called ptarmoscopy / ptarmoscopie

Divination by the study of the lines of the forehead is called metoposcopy / metopomancy

Divination by the study of the patterns produced by a collection of human hair is called pilimancy

Divination by the study of the soles of one’s feet is called podomancy / pedomancy /cartopedy

Divination by the study of auras is called auramancy

Divination by the study of biorhythms is called biorhythmicdivination

Divination by the study of bodily fluids is called drimimancy / drymimancy

Divination by the study of moles on the body is called meilomancy

Divination by the study of phrenological notations is called psychognomy

Divination by the study of placenta is called amniomancy

Divination by the study of umbilical cords is called umbilicomancy

Divination by the study of urine is called uromancy / urimancy

MODERN WORLD

Divination by the study of computer oracles is called cybermancy

Divination by the use of an electronic media player such as an electronic playlist, iPod, or other medium wherein one skips a certain number of songs and the lyrics and/or tune of the song is the answer to the divinatory question is called shufflemancy

Divination by the study of films is called videomancy

Divination by the study of technology is called technomancy

NATURAL WORLD

Divination by the study of aerial visions to interpret atmospheric conditions is called chaomancy (subdivision of aeromancy)

Divination by the study of atmospheric conditions is called aeromancy

Divination by the study of celestial bodies is called astrology / astromancy / astroscopy

Divination by the study of clouds is called nephomancy

Divination by the study of comet tails is called cometomancy

Divination by the study of constellations is called roadomancy

Divination by the study of earth is called geomancy

Divination by the study of gems or stones is called lithomancy

Divination by the study of geography and geological formations is called topomancy

Divination by the study of light is called photomancy

Divination by the study of lightning and electricity is called electromancy

Divination by the study of lightning and thunder is called meteoromancy

Divination by the study of lightning is called astrapomancy

Divination by the study of minerals is called oryctomancy

Divination by the study of mountains is called oromancy

Divination by the study of natural phenomena is called portenta / ostenta

Divination by the study of oil is called eleomancy / elaeomancy

Divination by the study of pebbles is called pessomancy

Divination by the study of rainwater is called hydatomancy

Divination by the study of sand is called amathomancy

Divination by the study of shade is called umbromancy

Divination by the study of shells is called conchomancy

Divination by the study of the aspect of the Stars at a person’s birth is called horoscopy

Divination by the study of the moon is called selenomancy

Divination by the study of thesky is called uranomancy / ouranomancy

Divination by the study of the sun is called solaromancy

Divination by the study of the four elements is called stareomancy

Divination by the study of thunder and lightning is called ceraunoscopy

Divination by the study of thunder is called brontomancy / brontoscopy

Divination by the study of wind is called anemoscopy /anemomancy

Divination by the study of meteors is called meteormancy

NUMBERS / READING / WRITING

Divination by the study of a letter in a written language is called literomancy

Divination by the study of assigning numerical value to a word or phrase is called arithmancy

Divination by the study of birth dates is called genethlialogy

Divination by the study of books or lines is called stichomancy

Divination by the study of burning writing onto bark(pyrography) is calledstigonomancy

Divination by the study of dice is called astragalomancy / astragalamancy / cubomancy

Divination by the study of dominoes is called dominodivination

Divination by the study of drawing sixteen lines in sand is called sikidy

Divination by the study of letters in a name is called onomancy / onomomancy / nomancy

Divination by the study of numbers and letters is called isopsephy

Divination by the study of numbers is called numerology

Divination by the study of Ogham letters is called Oghamcasting

Divination by the study of poetry is called rhapsodomancy

Divination by the study of randomly opening a dictionary is called dictiomancy

Divination by the study of handwriting is called graphology / graptomancy

Divination by the study of the aspect of the Stars at a person’s birth is called horoscopy

Divination by the study of the Bible is called bibliomancy

Divination by the study of theHebrew alphabet is called gematria

Divination by the study of the I Ching or the accompanying I Ching manual is called I Ching divination

Divination by the study of theIliadand theOdysseyor theAeneidis called stoicheomancy / stoichomancy

Homer’s writings were held in similar esteem to the Christian Bible or the Muslim Quran, as were Virgil’s writings to the Romans, making them the basic — or elementary — reading material in each culture)

Divination by the study of things on paper is called chartomancy

Divination by the study of words is called logomancy

Divination by the study of writing individual letters is called grammomancy

Divination by the study of initials is called notarikon / netrikon

Divination by the study of logarithms is called logarithmancy

Divination by the study of mathematics is called mathemancy

MAGIC

Divination by the study of black magic is called is called nigromancy

Divination by the study of magic is called is called metagnomy

Divination by the study of rods, sticks, or wands is called rhabdomancy / rabdomancy

RELIGION

Divination by the study of a prophecy from the Gods is called theomancy

Divination by the study of altars is called areolation

Divination by the study of incense is called knissomancy

Divination by the study of saints is called hagiomancy

Divination by the study of speeches by those supposed to be possessed by a divine spirit is called enthusiasm

Divination by the study of the Hebrew alphabet is called gematria

Divination by the study of the Kabbalah is called kabbalah

Divination by the study of icons is called iconomancy

Divination by the study of idols is called idolomancy

Divination by the study of sacred relics is called archeomancy

SACRIFICE

Divination by the study of human sacrifice is called anthropomancy

Divination by the study of the entrails of a sacrificed beast is calledaruspicina / hieromancy / hieroscopy

Divination by the study of the remains of sacrificed animals is called extispicy / extispication

Divination by the study of tree bark ashes, sacrificial or ritual fire ashes or human sacrificial victim ashes is called tephramancy / tephromancy

Divination by the study of rooster sacrifice is called alectormancy /alectromancy

About The Author

Mary is a Spirit Medium Certified by James Van Praagh after completing his course at the School of Mystical Arts.
She is also a Certified Doreen Virtue Past Life Healer.
Mary has been involved with psychic development for thirty years.
She sat in the late Ivy Northage's Development Circle for six months, at the Spiritualist Association of Great Britain when it was still in Belgrave Square, London.
She and her husband taught on an American Psychic Website for 18 months. Mary taught Meditation, Reincarnation and Past Life Regression, Spirit Guides and Candles.